Dpkg Testsuite (again and again and...)

Dpkg Testsuite (again and again and...)

Hi guys,

I'm curious about what do you think on having a testsuite for dpkg. I have
tried a couple of times here (see [1] and [2]), but the list in general, and
Scott in particular, didn't seem very interested, at least in my specific
proposal.

For me it's very hard to believe that people are just not interested in
having a testsuite for dpkg, so I think it must be something that has to do
with communication, with too much workload, with Scott or whoever more
interested in a different approach (that seems to be at least part of Scott's
little interest in my work), etc.

So, I'm *really* curious to know what people think of all this. Are there
any plans on adding a testsuite? Integrated, perhaps, with the Ubuntu proposal
for a testing framework?

Re: Dpkg Testsuite (again and again and...)

> So, I'm *really* curious to know what people think of all this. Are there
> any plans on adding a testsuite? Integrated, perhaps, with the Ubuntu proposal
> for a testing framework?

Speaking for myself, I think that a testsuite, even probably hard to
design, would be helpful in trying to find nastiest bugs (or stupidest
ones). We did benefit a test suite already for shadow and I don't see
why dpkg couldn't benefit one.

It will maybe be crude or not perfect at the beginning but that's
better than nothing anyway: A general tendency in Debian and Free
Software is sometimes to overdesign stuff, which often prevent them to
appear. While this is a quality when speaking of the programs code,
this is a weakness when needed stuff never comes becomes people try to
achieve the perfect tool at the first shot.

As a testsuite, by definition, doesn't touch the code, I see no reason
for at least not trying. IIRC, Frank Lichtenheld also had ideas about
it. Let him comment....and even if his ideas are not yours, either
merge both...or develop both testsuites...and time will tell us what
is the best to use.